No untaxed quays at Beirut Port

The Lebanese Customs Office denied Monday that “untaxed private quays” exist at the Port of Beirut, adding that 2010 corruption charges against one of its officers are still under investigation by legal authorities. “There are no private areas or quays at the Port of Beirut or outside of it. If anyone has beneficial information about such an issue, then they should inform us,” the statement read. Last week Al-Akhbar newspaper quoted MP Walid Jumblatt as saying that corruption at the port was costing the treasury $2 billion a year. Jumblatt cited Allan Bifani, the director-general of the Finance Ministry, on this figure. However, when The Daily Star spoke to Bifani, he denied that he had spoken to Jumblatt about the issue or made any mention of the port. From DailyStar